Bride of the Rain God
by andiehardy
Summary: She is a piece of unproductive land . He is the all powerful god of serpents and rain, eternally young and beautiful, who makes everything grow. - Sasusaku
1. Now

**...**

**Suna-**

Sakura sits by the counter and tries her best not to fall asleep. It's lunchtime and the streets are deserted as usual, rarely will shoppers come into the shop at this hour. And Sakura is tending a miracle medicine shop only tfools and desperates visit, with much reluctance. A far cry from her prized position in Konoha.

Her fall from grace was not born out of a stupendous mistake though. It's gradual downhill climb caused by one small mistake after another. She married the wrong guy, develop the wrong habits, did an operation on the wrong patient, retrieved the wrong scroll from a mission, signed and delivered the wrong papers, left for the wrong reason. Since then, she went from medic-nin to wanderer to janitress to dentist's assistant to bitter babysitter to scary nurse to shopgirl. All these odd jobs in several villages within four years did nothing to her flagging self-esteem. She's not past her twenties and she feels old and weary already.

That's why she's reaching for her water canteen she placed beside the bottles of fake fertility pills. A drink to drown self-pity. She takes a quick look around before swallowing in one go the bitter liquid that scalds her throat. The liquid warms her empty stomach. She smiles as she shakes her canteen upside down to catch droplets of that bitter alcohol.

From the corner of her eye, she sees the fat quack doctor enter the store. The old bitch is giving Sakura the I'm-displeased-you-better-behave look. Sakura replaced the cap of her canteen as she bows in greeting.

_"Were you drinking sake again Sakura?"_ The bitch is eyeing the canteen dangling on Sakura's hand while eating a cucumber sandwich.

_"No madam, it's tea. I've nothing to eat today."_ Sakura doesn't cringe with her lie and her not so subtle plea for crumbs. The bitch munches on her sandwich slowly until all of it goes into her bloated stomach. She licks her fingers and proceeds to snatch Sakura's canteen. She buries her nose deeply into the canteen's mouth.

_"It's sake,"_ she declares. And before Sakura could defend herself, the bitch continues,_ "This is the twelfth time I caught you drinking during work hours Sakura. If not for the Kazekage's high regard of you, I would have fired you the first time. But now I found the perfect girl to tend this store so you can go home and have a nice sleep now."_

Sakura sees the perfect girl standing by the doorway. She's mouthing apologies in Sakura's way. It doesn't matter, Sakura hates her anyway.

_"I'm sorry?"_ Sakura plays dumb.

The bitch takes a second cucumber sandwich from her sleeve. She's the kind of woman to wear a dress with silly unstrategically placed zipped pouches. She takes a dainty bite from her sandwich and smiles.

_"You're fired Sakura, now go home."_

_"The hell I am,"_ Sakura shouts._ "You call this work? You call this shitty mixtures, medicines?"_ She takes her canteen from the bitch's well manicured hand and throws it at the shelves containing diluted ointments. The bottles fall over the bitch's shoulder so that she shouts profanities at Sakura.

_"And to think the kage thinks highly of you, you stupid drunkard. You have deep psychological problem you fucking bitch!"_

Sakura doesn't hear the end of it. She snatches the half-eaten cucumber sandwich, pats the newly hired mute on the back and walks towards her apartment. Arriving at the shithole that has been her home for months, she gasps and tugs down her uneven short hair.

Fuck, she needs a drink. She searches for the bottle of sake she misplaced last night and when she couldn't find it, eats the sandwich in one go. The cucumber and empty white bread does nothing to her stomach. She itches for a drink so the search for the missing sake starts again. She makes a grid search on the floor much to her amusement, she haven't done it in a long while. She starts to tear up in frustration and ran to sit in her shower. There the bottle of sake lodges bottom up in her toilet bowl. Old habits survive for she recoils from the dirty bottle. Fuck she is meant to be medic-nin, not a lousy shopgirl. At closer inspection, the toilet is filled with the bottle and her meager bills now crumpled and wet. She must be very drunk last night to duck her money in the toilet.

F-f-f-fuck everything.

* * *

**Hokage tower, Konoha-**

_"No,"_ Sasuke says firmly.

_"Please Teme."_ Naruto practically grovels at the Uchiha's feet. "She's the best person to do the job."

_"I get that but send someone to escort her back here dobe,"_ Sasuke sneers and glares at Naruto for effect.

_"As your hokage, I command you to fetch Haruno Sakura and bring her here Uchiha Sasuke."_ Naruto grins as Sasuke's growls in irritation.

_"You don't do that to me you dobe!"_

_"Why not? I happen to be the sixth hokage. We fought for the title, I won, you lost."_ And to stress his superiority more than his authority, Naruto points at Sasuke, _"you lost to me, remember?"_

The good old hokage adviser Shikamaru, sensing the sudden drop in the room's temperature, backs out of the room. Trees always explode in the coldest winter.

Sasuke grabs the hokage by the collar and shouts,_ "I could've won if that idiot woman didn't divorce me moments before the fight."_

_"You let things get in the way of a good fight Teme."_

_"You can say that again. You don't have a troublesome wife to start with. Because you fancy yourself in love with my wife."_

_"Ex-wife Sasuke. Sakura divorced you, remember?"_

Sasuke let go of Naruto. _"And thank the gods above, she did."_

Shikamaru carrying a missive to the hokage, steps back to the room. Sasuke found a new target. He turns to the kage,_ "The Nara prompted you to make me escort her back home, what reasons he have, I wonder?"_

_"Normally the hokage won't bother you with this mission Sasuke but all available shinobis were deployed to Iwa to help with the construction of a great bridge there, the rest haven't been back from their mission,"_ Shikamaru says with a sigh hinting how he hates to explain himself.

_"Ninja academy pupils must have formed a three man units by now. Send one unit with their teacher."_

_"School is yet to start in uh- three days,"_ Shikamaru says with another deep sigh.

Sasuke ignores Shikamaru and address Naruto, _"Send Nara, Sakura will likely listen to him over me."_

Naruto shakes his head._ "We need him here Sasuke. So you would have to do it, solo. You don't have to tell Sakura anything, just hand her this scroll and she'll know it's a summon. She's still a shinobi of the leaf, she'll do whatever is expected of her."_

Sasuke kicks the hokage's table in defeat._ "The last time we talked, she threw a rock at me so don't expect much from this mission,"_ he said and turns for the door.

Shikamaru nods at Naruto.

_"Sasuke,"_ Naruto calls the retreating figure.

Sasuke doesn't bother to face the hokage. He hovers by the doorway.

_"I give you permission to tie her up, if necessary, just please please bring Sakura back here."_

A grunt and Sasuke is out of the room.

Naruto sidles up to Shikamaru, _"Do you think he heard that?"_

_"I'm sure he did."_

_"Will Sakura be okay though?"_

_"She would at least put up a fight, so expect they'd be here later than sooner."_

* * *

**Kazekage office, Suna-**

_"I don't mind handing Sakura to you Sasuke but I'm afraid she is not within our jurisdiction now,"_ Gaara says solemnly, his hands folded as if in prayer.

Sasuke looks over the window to observe the sleepy clouds above.

_"She personally bid me goodbye last week."_

_"And where is she headed?"_

Gaara frowns. _"She said she will stop at the next village and make up plans as she go."_

_"That's not helpful."_ Sasuke straightens his already straight back. Gaara takes it as a signal to leave. He motions Sasuke to stay for a while.

_"She looks haunted when she first came here. I put her name on the list for welfare but she won't allow it. She did odd jobs sin-"_

_"That's not necessary Gaara. Thank you."_

_"It's such a waste."_

_"Yes well I have to go. She has a week ahead of me. The hokage needs her services soon."_

Gaara sees the Uchiha out.

Temari drinking lemonade by the door quips, _"Still as cold as always. He could've saved her from a lot of trouble."_

Gaara looks at her sister. _"She's not his responsibility. I thought it was you who said women don't need saving."_

Temari just shrugs.

_"Now I see why you're a spinster."_

_"Oh-ho! Don't you go there. Now go back to your post kazekage."_

* * *

**Somewhere in the Land of Water-**

Sakura wakes in time to hear the roosters, crowing atop the bamboo fences, welcome the sun. She opens the shoji screens then the outer panels of her little home, to better see the view down the mountain. Wooden houses were strewn everywhere. From them issue the peasants who start to make their way down the rice fields.

_"Sakura-chan!"_ An old woman peeps through the slit of her bamboo fence. _"You must hurry, they're going to start soon."_

_"But I have to bathe first granny and prepare food."_

_"Oh I knew you'd say that so I packed you some leeks, let's eat it on the way. As for bathing, do that when the work's over- come, they're starting to sing below."_

Sakura dons an oversize coat and rubber boats. Granny hands her a straw hat and together they make the slow descent from the mountain. The farmers below starts to clear the fields to the tune of the region's folksong. Sakura declares the scene most charming.

Granny spits her leeks and chuckles. _"You should see last year's planting season, a lot of dancing and singing to invoke the raingod to shower his blessings. We caught so many eel too and had a festival of sorts. You will play the part of mother earth once we clear off the area, the villagers already agreed on that."_

_"I don't know what that is."_

_"A beautiful woman is to sleep on the fields the night before the planting begins. She is to represent the earth's fertility while a gallant man will represent the rain god. They are expected to copulate to ensure great harvest. It's not too hard, my husband and I were obliged to do it on our wedding night. The harvest was specially good that year."_

Sakura turns to face granny with mouth wide open.

_"Since you don't have a husband Sakura-chan, the villagers will pick a most suitable man to do the job."_

_"You're not fucking serious bitch!"_ Sakura covers her mouth as soon as the words were out.

Granny uncomprehending, blinks several times. _"The harvest is a serious business. If we don't produce rice, five major villages will go hungry for the whole year. So we do everything we can, even burying Roku talismans on the fields, anything for a good harvest."_

_"But I'm not from here! Besides I had a husband once, I'm sure the ritual requires only virgins, or eleven-year-olds, or something."_ Fuck she needs a drink, a hot sake soon, soon.

The old woman cackles, showing her blackened teeth._ "The rain god only need a beautiful bride for one night, husband or no husband. And you look like spring, everything will grow under your feet. As for your being not a native here, remember that we tread on one earth wherever we go."_

They walk in silence for a time. Sakura thinks of ways to politely and properly decline the position of the bride of the rain god while granny enjoys her leeks.

Coming close to the foot of the mountain, the old woman speaks.

_"I didn't know you had a husband before."_

Sakura smiles blandly.

_"Let me guess, he's an ugly brute who managed to put a love potion on your drink. And you somehow broke the spell and escaped. It happens a lot in this region."_

Sakura frowns. _"Yes, you got that right."_

* * *

**Shimu-**

Sasuke plops down the snowy grounds in exhaustion. He'd been rounding up the countries looking for his ex-wife for months. Sakura presumably skirts around Konoha to avoid running into practically everyone else from home. So from Suna, Sasuke follows the path she will likely take. Apparently the Nara is right in thinking Sasuke is the best person to do this mission- Sasuke knows her well.

He mentally looks up the list of her possible hideaways. Two more countries to go, she can't hide forever.


	2. Then

**Uchiha mansion, Main building-**

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

_"H-n?"_

_"I lost the baby. Again."_

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun."_ She sniffed.

_"How?"_

_"I was doing the dishes then there's blood on the floor. It was all so sudden, I'm sorry I'm so sorry."_

_"…"_

_"That's why I didn't welcome you home at the gates."_

_"Was it a boy?"_

_"Yes."_ Accompanied now by a nervous laugh.

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry."_ She forced one fist up her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud.

_"Go to sleep now Sakura. You need rest."_

Sakura nodded even when he couldn't see it. He was facing the wall as usual.

* * *

**Osaka bridge, Konoha-**

_"Here,"_ Sakura handed him the divorce papers. _"I'm giving back your freedom."_

_"I didn't ask for it,"_ Sasuke said calmly though his eyes kept darting back to the field where the big fight will happen. _"Can we talk about this later? I need to defeat Naruto first."_

_"No Sasuke (without the -kun). I'm tired of being invisible. All you think about is that stupid hokage seat."_ She sounded as silly as she felt.

_"Will you listen to yourself talk?"_ He spoke impatiently, like he would to a stupid child. "_I've put in a lot of work for this position and I won't let a little misunderstanding ruin it for me."_

_"It's not a little misunderstanding. You terminate my medication without my consent and you paid damages to that iwa shinobi behind my back. I told you I will be the one to fix it. You can't interfere with my profesional life Sasuke, I thought we already discussed that?"_

Sasuke started to massage his nape, an indication that he was almost annoyed. "_You cut that man's good leg Sakura out of negligence and had to cut the other decomposing leg. Just how do you intend to fix it? I just did the right thing, paid him so he won't demand for your license."_

_"You don't trust me enough."_

_"And that medication is driving you crazy. Filled your brain with crazy ideas. Why can't you accept that you can't be a mother?"_

_"And that I am useless to you."_

_"Of course you are useless. You can't give me even just one healthy baby and you run into troubles that you yourself can't deal with. Now you want to talk about how useless you are just to prevent me from getting that hokage seat."_ He leaned on the bridge's low arch almost in exhaustion and fixed his gaze on the paper he held in his hand. _"We'll talk about this later."_

_"No."_ She gave him a pen. _"Sign it. I won't ask for spousal support or half of your properties. I just want out."_

A big crowd's assembling at the perimeters of the battlefield. She heard them chant her husband's name. _"Don't do this,"_ he pleaded weakly.

_"They're waiting for you Sasuke, so make it quick."_

_"Is it so bad? Living with me?"_

_"Yes,"_ she said looking everywhere but at him. _"Yes. I wish to the gods I didn't marry you."_

Sasuke studied the still waters below. Two mandarin ducks paddled and called to each other once every eight seconds. He's sure, he timed them well.

_"Sasuke-teme!"_ They both cringed at the sound of Naruto ruining his throat. He was at the battlefield but he might as well be shouting straight to their ears. That's how loud he was.

Sasuke hurriedly signed the papers and slipped them into the space between her ring finger and middle finger. Her wedding ring caught the glare of the sun and it momentarily blinded him.

_"You will marry again perhaps?"_ he asked grimly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto running in their direction.

_"Yes I will."_ Her chin was set defiantly. _"And not to someone who will just stare dumbly at me while I cry."_

_"Truth be told it wasn't fun being married to you,"_ he said with a smirk. Bile now was rising up his throat and he started to talk rapidly. _"I thought you're reasonable but you prove me wrong. You blow things out of proportion so that a little harsh word could be ground for separation. You cease being supportive the moment we married. And you impose silly rules around the house. It's like being married to a different person. And I wonder if you ever love me at all-"_ He just wanted to throw a last painful (literal) punch at her. _"-maybe not. You weren't sure of anything in the first place."_

A rock suddenly landed on his foot. "_Don't you ever say I never loved you!" _He saw her aim but he neither budged nor defended himself. The sound of bones cracking filled the air. She was unnerved at his silence, shocked at what she's done, frozen on her feet.

It was her turn to talk rapidly. _"Sasuke-kun (now the suffix was back) I'm sorry I didn't meant to you have great reflexes I thought I thought you'd be able to dodge it I'm sorry here let me heal you."_

_"Don't touch me."_ He slapped her hands away. Thank heavens Naruto finally arrived to whisk him out of there.

_"Sasuke-teme Sakura-chan whaaa-"_ Naruto poked at the rock which was only a foot shorter than him.

_"Sakura's gift."_ Sasuke kicked the rock with his other foot. It rolled towards the lake frightening the pair of mandarin ducks. _"Nevemind my foot, let's go."_

_"Sakura-chan you coming?"_

_"No dobe, she has to pack."_

* * *

**Somewhere in Kiri-**

"_You have to find another work Sakura,"_ her pretty employer said with a sigh. Her pearl choker quivered on her neck.

This scene was getting familiar to Sakura. How many times had she heard that line? She couldn't remember.

_"You said this isn't exactly a career right? Just a stupid job to pay your rent."_ The pretty employer proceeded to file her blood red nails just to display her cocktail rings. Sakura counted seven rings on one hand. _"And well you keep forgetting the rules in babysitting, what's the first rule?"_

Sakura rolled her eyes.

_"Come on Sakura, what's the first rule?"_

Sakura scratched her scalp. _"The baby's king."_

_"Right, but when momoko-hime wanted juice you gave her what exactly Sakura?"_

Man this is tiresome, Sakura thought. She shifted on her seat. _"Milk."_

_"Exactly, milk. You see why I can't keep you?"_

_"Yes maam, if you'll excuse me I have to go."_ Sakura rose and palms up, reached towards the pretty mommy. She got used to this begging posture not too long now. And she felt nothing, like a professional mendicant.

Her employer raised one perfect brow. Sakura hadn't had the time to pluck this week.

_"My payment for services rendered this week?"_ She hoped she sound intelligent. An intelligent babysitter. This place badly needed one.

_"Ooohhh."_ The employer's blood red mouth formed into an "o" for eternity it seemed. _"Right right here you go Sakura and goodluck on your career, whatever it is."_ Her pretty employer handed her an envelope but didn't see her to the door.

On her way out, Sakura almost tripped into Momoko-hime who was crying her spoiled little heart out. Such a beautiful child. Dark hair and dark eyes, she could easily pass as an Uchiha. That's why Sakura hated the child. Momoko-hime served as a reminder of what Sakura couldn't have.

_"Don't go, don't go,"_ the "king" cried. Stupid mom couldn't even tell the rules were sexist.

_"You want to come with me?"_ Sakura asked. Maybe she could go back to konoha and claim Momoko-hime's her daughter. Will Sasuke welcome her back? But the child's too big to fit the time frame, supposing she's already pregnant before she left home.

And the pretty mom's already had the child in her skinny arms. _"Oh baby, nanny has to go somewhere faraway where there's no strawberry juice. You don't want to go without strawberry juice now will you?"_

The child shook her head. _"Bye nanny."_

Ha! Just like an Uchiha. Her handsome ex-husband didn't even try to prevent her from leaving. Well she hoped he's having the time of his life now. She hoped his new wife's bowlegged or had a mustache.

She made it as far as the next village trying to visualize his cross-eyed children, and still no work available for her. She rented a room in a rundown inn and had to share toilet and sink with other filthy travelers.

My life is not supposed to be this way, she screamed at the moon from her grimy window. I was supposed to do great things.

Her neighbor banged the thin wall violently to shut her up. In the next room came the sound of creaking bed springs and animal cries, possibly of two horny cats.

* * *

**Uchiha mansion, north wing-**

The newly installed hokage fell from his chair from laughing too much. The group of men addressed another round of congratulations to Naruto.

_"So why is his (index finger pointed at Naruto) victory party held here in my house?"_ Sasuke asked the drunken party of men. _"And he was appointed last month._"

_"Oh shut up Uchiha,"_ Kiba said ,_"we know you need company, your house is a ghost, we're here to cheer you up. Right guys?"_ All the rest agreed by raising their fist up high.

_"You mean Sasuke's the ghost in this house right?!" _Shikamaru said.

_"This isn't a house, it's a mansion,"_ Naruto said in such a clever manner.

_"Oh who cares?"_ Kiba poured the wine.

_"To single men! May the gods! bless us!"_ Shikamaru was far too gone to care for his excessive exclamation marks.

_"Oi Sasuke don't worry about Sakura, she'll come running right back to you. The trick is to not run after her you know."_ Shino said. _"My, I think my head just doubled in size."_ He bent over his head almost touching the floor, his mask slipping out. Sasuke resisted the urge to peek at Shino's partially covered face.

_"Sakura! The flowers in the fields held no fascination to me no more, knowing the brightest most fragrant flower has gone."_ Lee declaimed while poisoning his liver with too much alcohol.

_"Oi teme buy more sake!"_ Naruto commanded, waving his hokage robe above his head. He'd be more convincing if he's not half naked. _"You get to buy the wine because I defeated you."_ The dobe then proceeded to dance a jig. _"I won over Sasuke! I won over Sasuke!"_

_"I'll do it,"_ Choji raised both hands. Great, Sasuke thought, I'm not the only sober person in this room. _"But we have to buy pork too because I ate it all,"_ Choji grinned, _"and I'm still hungry."_

Is there anything that's worse than that? Sasuke massaged his temples. Sai poked Sasuke's back several times until Sasuke exploded.

_"What the fuck do you want?!"_

The whole gang stopped their antics and stared dumbly at the only divorced man in the room. Sai grinned until his eyes were turned into slits. The intoxicated men's eyes followed Sai's one pale hand as it fished out a book from a pocket and delivered the book on Sasuke's lap.

_"I have a gift for you Sasuke. This will help you a lot."_

_"Ha!"_ Shino threw up all over the tea table. _"What is it?"_

_"Get out all of you,"_ Sasuke muttered under his breath.

The hokage drunkenly reached for the book. _"A Divorced Man's Guide to Living Alone; includes 567 Advanced Techniques to Attract Potential Mates."_

_"Wow! I need a copy of that tooo!"_ Shikamaru followed Shino's lead and threw up on the tatami mat. Everyone but Sasuke and Sai laughed and crowed out loud.

_"GET THE FUCK OUT YOU IDIOTS!"_


	3. Now-

**The outskirts of a ninja settlement, Water country-**

Sasuke shares a sheltering tree with a family of travelling musicians. The sun is diabolical around here but the family is happy. Too happy. The mother of twelve children gives Sasuke half of her lunch.

_"No."_ Sasuke returns the fish and rice balls.

_"You know it's bad luck to decline blessings,"_ her wrinkled husband winks at Sasuke. _"At least that's what the old folks in this part of the country say."_

_"Right."_ Sasuke's eyes follow the children's game of tug and war. One girl of about five years of age skips towards them and sits on her father's lap.

_"You like children, eh?"_ The man asks while gathering the girl's stray hairlocks behind her ears. The girl watches Sasuke with a bashful smile.

_"Do you have children?"_ The wife asks, one infant hanging on her breast. Her twin sons start to play lasso with Sasuke's belt but she doesn't scold them._"You should father a lot of children you know, add a number of beautiful babies into this world."_

_"Yes,"_ Sasuke catches the smallest of the boys and sets the laughing three-year-old on his lap. _"But they're all dead."_

_"How awful,"_ the woman says sincerely but as all gossips, she can't resist asking, _"Why, what happened to them?"_

Sasuke shook his head. The couple nodded probably thinking he is still grieving his children's death and respected his silence. They watch their children laughing and talking and running in the background. The woman so used to talking soon clears her throat.

_"I'm sure you'll have others, you look virile enough, oh you'll use your wife well."_ The woman is blushing to the embarassment of her husband. _"Ara, what a lucky wife."_ The old man delivers a light slap on the woman's lap. The woman hits him back.

_"I'm divorced,"_ Sasuke says deadpan.

The couple's mouth form a big "o".

_"Eh? Well finding yourself another woman, prettier and the kind that sticks around shouldn't be so hard."_ The man grins awkwardly. His wife thumps his back.

_"Oh the poor woman. She must've gone mad with the children's death."_ Turning to Sasuke, she says, _"I never had a miscarriage before but If I lose any of my babies, I'd probably go crazy and stomp on my husband's toupe."_

_"No honey."_ Her husband hold his dusty toupe hard against his head.

_"Well that's nothing compared to the pain of giving birth to all of your twelve children, specially the twins."_

Sasuke bounces one half of that twins up and down his lap. The little boy squeals and tugs on Sasuke's hair chanting papapapapapa. _"I was hoping I'd find my wife here."_ This is the only place left on his map.

The woman leans closer to Sasuke, displacing the poor infant sucking on her breast. Sasuke looks away. The baby howls until the milky white breast is offered once again. _"Do you have a picture with you?"_

No, he doesn't have one. Their wedding portrait is too big to fit in his pocket. _"She's not easy to miss. Pink hair, green eyes, nice legs."_ Right, that's inappropriate. And it's not all the time that she wears a mini skirt.

_"Pink hair,"_ the wife muses.

_"Nice legs."_ The husband too.

_"I know a Sakura in a farming community two mountains from here" _the wife says literally lighting up_. "Honey, remember that pretty farmer we met on the road the other day in a backward village with crazy people?."_

_"Who?"_

_"The pink-haired farmer? The one who stared rudely at our babies?"_

_"Oh yeah. But I don't recall her having sexy legs. The villagers though were a nut case."_

_"She's wearing peasant's pants then honey."_

But of course, Sakura wouldn't limit herself to ninja settlements. She will live among the civilians if needed. She is a stubborn woman who couldn't afford to be picky right now. How could Sasuke forget that?

Sasuke stands and hands the little boy to his father. _"Thank you."_

Sasuke bows and starts to leave.

_"You left your lunch,"_ the woman calls out but Sasuke's already too far gone. She turns to her husband saying, _"that was a fine specimen of a man."_

The husband shrugs, braiding his daughter's hair. _"Divorced eh? why he calls her wife without the ex."_

* * *

**Sakura's hut, The Farming Community-**

Only the wise women could enter the hut of the bride of the rain god. These are old women with a great number of children and grandchildren. They believe their fecundity will rub on in the chosen bride. The rain worship ceremony is three weeks away and they prepare a cup of snake tea that the bride should drink every afternoon before sundown.

_"That looks deadly,"_ Sakura's whispers to granny as a sunburned old woman grounds a white snake to a sorry state.

_"The serpent tea is used for many things- vitality, longevity, life,"_ granny calmly whispers back. _"For centuries it never fails to help women conceive in this region."_

_"We already talk about this I'm not going to be that stupid god or demon bride 'kay?"_ Sakura says _"I just want your village cheap sake."_

Granny prattles on about Sakura developing a strong womb, about Sakura having a dozen children. She claims to be deaf sometimes when she doesn't want anyone interrupting her dabbles.

Like that will happen.

_"I need a drink."_ Sakura glides to the kitchen avoiding the emaciated wise women (more like stupid, Sakura thought unkindly) sitting on her floor. Under the sink, on an earthen, jar are several bottles of cheap sake. She empties one bottle down her throat like water. This community of old people is the biggest producer of rice wine in the region which makes it a convenient place for Sakura to stay. But the rain god business is getting ugly.

_"You can't drink sake until after you drink the magic tea!"_ the old women coming through the kitchen say in chorus. Sakura opens another bottle and chug its content down her throat.

_"Sod off, like I agreed to do that stupid ritual." _Magic? more like poison.

The old women stares at Sakura in incomprehension. Half of them are deaf, the other half don't know swear words.

_"Fuck. Off. And. Let. Me. Drink. In. Peace.,"_ Sakura says ever so slowly. A fake smile playing on her lips. _" Please?"_

The wise women, mostly octagenarians, probably never encountered the word fuck, nod dumbly and leave.

_"Shit I need to get out of this place."_ Sakura stealthily jumps out by the sink window and skids off that mountain. She is near approaching the foot of the mountain when she remembers her supply of cheap sake. No way is she going to waste that much alcohol and the villagers give them to her for free! If this is not the good life then Sakura doesn't know what it is. She sits on a stump of a tree and briefly remembers her parents. Her mother's disappointment. Her father's sorrow. And before her mind veers towards Sasuke, she shakes her head and runs to the field. She will join in a game of buffalo cart mud-racing that'll help plow the field.

By five she is back in her hut. The wise women and a cup of snake tea is waiting for her.

Granny runs up to her and cackles like a hen. Sakura looks to the other women for help but they are either struck dumb with happiness or the serpent tea scalded their throat.

_"Sakura we've found a young man for you!"_ Granny articulates at last after much clearing of throat and deep breathing exercises._ "He's there inside now. Hush, I know I know you don't want a man in there but he's going to be your partner in the ceremony. Oi Sasuke, come out now. Come meet our lovely girl here. Sasuke!"_

Sakura's feet turn cold. She feels her insides turning and has an urge to barf. Fuck the free sake I need to go now, now! But she stays in place and she doesn't think nor hear nor smell nor breathe, only see. She sees that the leaves of the trees move in a graceful dance, sees that the wisewomen's cheeks blush as if they're young and awkward, sees that granny leads a man dressed in black out of her house. Sakura sees the man's face and all her senses comes back in a snap. The air felt humid and the crickets are noisy as ever and her head churns out insults she can throw at poor granny.

Granny pats the man on his back._ "This young man here serves as one of the daimyo's mercenaries. Brave and strong, he would make the rice stalks grow strong too."_

The awkward figure kowtows. He not so subtly surveys Sakura from head to toe and back again. Not HIM afterall.

_"Hello my name is -"_

_"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it,_" Sakura cuts in. She could tell that the man dyed his hair. His hair's unnaturally black but the roots of hair at his temples are turning grey. And the unmistakable frown lines and crows feet and forehead wrinkles, surely the man's not so young as these grandmas think.

_"-Sasuke, my name's Sasuke."_

Sakura stands there watching this old man with insignificant face lay claim to such a (as much as she hates to admit it ) beautiful name.

_"You're kidding right? Granny this isn't funny."_ But Sakura ends up laughing herself. _"The fuck old man, you don't look like a Sasuke."_

The man turns to granny for help. _"You'll be surprised a number of children here were named after famous shinobis, as if to make up for being born civilian. This man here, he is named after Sarutobi Sasuke of the leaf."_

And so is Uchiha Sasuke.

"_I'm not doing this,"_ Sakura says.

_"But Sakura you promised."_

The women plead Sakura to reconsider. The day when the raingod will descend to the land of rice plains to bed mother earth is a less than a month away. Already a few eligible men candidates fled from the village to escape the responsibility. Only this man is brave enough to volunteer. And the village has decided it will be Sakura and no one else.

_"I don't remember agreeing to anything."_

"It's not so hard Sakura," granny pleads a little too strongly.

_"Of course it is!"_ Sakura stomps her foot like a child. With all these old people around here, she is in a way a child. _"You want me to let this disgusting old man fuck me on the ground, like I would let that happen."_

_"Sasuke will not hurt you-"_

_"He already did." _The damn handsome Uchiha

The wisewomen stare at each other. _"But you've just met him."_

_"I'd like to rest, goodbye."_ Even when annoyed, Sakura bows to each of them. The disgusting Sasuke included.

_"But you will do it, right Sakura?"_

_"We will come tomorrow to prepare your tea."_

Sakura walks on in, visibly shaken. This is a perfect place to live. Here she has a tiring but honest work (no assasinations involved) and an endless supply of sake. She would be a fool to let a stupid ritual let her quit this place. She hurries to the kitchen and upsets everything in there. Her hands stops shaking only when she clasps the coveted sake close to her chest. Ha- that fucking idiot of a man making her remember her marriage and babies. All lost, all gone. I won't cry, I wont. She opens the bottle and drinks her way to sleep.

* * *

**The Fields-**

The villagers avoid her the next day. Those little mud-racers she had the pleasure of beating yesterday won't even look her in the eye. They huddle together on one part of the field digging sticks on the mud floor leaving Sakura alone to plow the other parts. Nice, she says to herself. Lunch break is announced and no one calls for Sakura. She has built quite a pride over the years to force herself in their company. With stomach churning she goes on plodding the stick in the earth. Think of sake, think of sake she starts to chant but abruptly stops when she realize sake sounds like Sasuke.

The farmers observe poor Sakura over lunch. Granny almost gets up to fetch her but the rest of the villagers holds her down. _"Let her come to us,"_ they say. They also observe a figure in black crossing the fields like someone avoiding booby traps. The figure is tall and of a slight build. The maidens could tell it belongs to a handsome man, a foreigner of sorts. The men, the married and the few single ones who didn't escape, snicker. The old civilian Sasuke is worried. The figure in black is approaching Sakura too fast for his comfort. He grabs a stick nearby ready to attack. Granny holds his wrist in a strong grip. _"Don't interfere,"_ she says loudly for everyone to hear, _"let's wait it out."_ The villager's stretch their neck to better see the pink-haired lady and her handsome stranger.

_"Sakura is not going anywhere is she?"_ a timid girl says, afraid to be chosen as the next raingod bride perhaps.

_"She will stay and will perform the ceremony,"_ Granny assures her confidently.

* * *

**Hokage tower, Leaf Village-**

_"Any report from Sasuke?"_ Naruto says as he flops down his seat to face tons of paperwork.

_"His summon delivers this hokage-sama,"_ Shikamaru hands him a scrap of ricepaper.

Naruto squints his eyes to read the note. He remains silent for a while Shikamaru couldn't resist asking if something's the matter.

_"The seal's broken. It's been tampered with."_

He exchange nervous glances with Shikamaru. _"Do you think- What if Sasuke's in danger?"_


	4. Now--

**The fields of Ugajin-**

_"Sakura."_

And there is Sasuke, not the disgusting one, standing before her. Blocking her sun so that he appeared to have a halo.

My Sun. Hah, how stupid of her younger self to thing he was the sun, the fucking universe, no other stars exists because of his blinding splendor. But Sakura thinks how appropriate to call him the sun now. She was scorched once by getting too close so better keep distant now.

_"Ah Sasuke,_" she says eyes directed to the ground. Her plan to appear snob and high certainly doesn't fit her dirty work clothes and hard labor. She rises to her full height and look him in the eye. But his immaculate clothes, man he looks good in black as always, and his black black eyes watching her behind his bangs make her wanna cry. It's no genjutsu. Divorce agreed with him or is he married now? Fuck this man. She blinks back her tears and flashes him a smile.

_"Hi... how have you been?"_ She hopes not one drop of bitterness is oozing from her pores. The most tragic thing that can happen to a woman next to losing her child, is appearing poor and ugly (Sai will surely agree) in front of her ex-husband.

_"The hokage wants your services."_

_"What does Naruto want?" _

_"You're so sure he's the hokage."_

_"There's no one more suitable,"_ she says not looking at his blinding beauty,_ "besides you wouldn't be here if you get the position."_

_"Shrewd as always,"_ he says. But somehow she feels sorry for him.

_"So,"_ she gathers her hair behind both ears. Her getup now is hopeless but still she could look a tad pretty (and happy?) by arranging her hair. _"Is it another epidemic?"_

_"The mission is to escort you home for unspecified reason."_

_"It looks like it doesn't need immediate attention."_

_"No,"_ he agrees.

_"Well I won't go."_

_"Also,"_ he says without a trace of emotion, _"the hokage told me to tie you up if necessary."_

_"Did he?"_ Sakura laughs swaying her hips like Ino. _"That Idiot."_ She raises one hand to demurely cover her mouth and discovers chakra strings restraining her body. When did he -?

_"You fucker!"_ she screams her throat off. _"You bastard, you arrogant man, you snob, you you."_

The villagers gathered in a corner advance as a team. Granny is leading them with a wooden spear in hand. They are slow and it seems to Sakura, shy even. Specially the girls who have the temerity to blush.

Right, that's Sasuke's pheromones working its magic. She's glad she's not the only suffering from it. Makes her less of a fool.

_"Help! I'm being kidnapped!"_ Sakura screams.

_"Sakura-chan I will save you!"_ the old disgusting sasuke shouts back but not daring to step a foot forward without Granny's permission.

With Uchiha Sasuke here, the old man's name is reduced all to lower case.

Sasuke smirks at this. _"Your new husband?"_

_"Fuck you."_

_"Why won't you fight back? Go on punch me or present me with a four foot rock and crush the bones on my feet."_

_"Fuck you."_

Sasuke frowns obviously not liking this all talk- no action version of her.

_"They don't know I'm a shinobi," _she explains.

_"Ah."_

_"So play along and say you've mistaken me for someone else."_

He covers her mouth with one fragrant hand. Gods above, his touch can cause her to shiver still. _"I wasted enough time tracking you down, we have to get moving now." _

He hauls her up over his shoulder. Her face on his warm back. Her butt on display. Instead of kicking his groin, she says, _"I hate that your cheek is rubbing my ass."_

_"I don't see any ass,_" he says blankly.

My, this man is despicable. _"Oh really? You used to grab them every opportunity you get. Slapping them when no one's watching."_

He doesn't comment and instead walks on in silence. The villagers in a triangle formation catch up on them.

_"Sir you cannot- you cannot take-"_ Granny is stuttering.

Sakura rolls her eyes in disbelief.

_"Good Sir, Sakura chan is..."_

_"She's my bride!"_ sasuke with the lowercase s says. _"And in a few weeks I will sleep with her on these fields."_

Oh fuck. Sakura raise her upper body only to whisper to Sasuke. _"Take me to my hut on that mountain of brambles and do not let them come up any further. Act angry 'kay?"_

Sasuke is slick. He pats Granny soft white hair and glares at old sasuke. _"I'm sorry everyone, you see my Wife (he practically put three stress marks on the word) here and I need to discuss something important. Don't mind her being carried this way. We prefer this over the bridal carry style. Much sexier this way."_

_"But she's all tied up," _Granny points out.

Sasuke smirks rather proudly. _"Heh. This is how we do it."_

Sakura buries her face on his back. That's too happy for you Sasuke. Too happy.

Granny chuckles like a timid girl. _"I see ehehe. You heard it people, let's go back to work."_

sasuke who is bent on sleeping with Sakura on these fields naturally protests _"But-but my bride."_

_"Now, now,"_ Granny pulls him back to his muddy work._ "She told me he's an ugly beast but he's beautiful. Fine features."_

sasuke scoffs_. " I bet he can't even beat me in mud wrestling.''_

* * *

**Sakura's hut-**

The walk up the mountain is excruciatingly silent. Sakura could tell Sasuke's dark mood by the force of his every breath. She wonders why she endures the silence and her awkward transportation.

She struggles to come up with anything to say.

_"Ah this village has a sort of fertility ritual, they want me to participate in it as a symbolic representation of the Rain god bride. Hah, that's ironic given that I couldn't carry a child to full term,"_ she says straight to his back.

Sakura realizes her mistake. _"Put me down,"_ she says in her most authoritative voice.

He readily obeys. Somehow his back is becoming too hot for her comfort.

_"Untie me."_ This time her voice wavers a little. She has spent the last five years being bitter, allowing no man to touch even a single strand of her hair. Now she wants this man, her ex-husband of all people, to touch her skin even for a second.

With a flick of his kunai, the chakra strings is cut. Sakura blinks in disappointment. But of course he won't touch her if he can help it. It was her fault afterall that the celebrated marriage in the village ended.

_"In a week Sasuke."_ Her index finger is raised close to her lips. _"I will head for the leaf in a week. I'll use my time left to change the address of the delivery of my supplies,"_ she declares thinking of the cheapest sake in the region.

_"And what will I get if I acquiesce?"_

_"No poison or sleeping pills, no rocks crushing your bones, no punching. In short no hassle." _Ha, she has nothing right now but she have her past badass moments to swash in front of him.

_"What makes you thing I can't handle all that?"_

_"You want absolutely nothing from your ex-wife, especially injuries."_

He smirks. She raises one brow at him. His eyes indicates her wedding band. The gold serpent swallowing its own tail, wrapped around her ring finger.

_"That ring means eternity," _he says. He raises both his hands for her inspection. He's not wearing his own golden serpent. _"But that's pure bullshit."_

Sakura backs down when he steps closer. His body is giving such a strong field of heat. Lust or maybe that's just his anger emanating. He snatches the ring off her finger and she dumbly stares at her hand. It looks and feels bare without the serpent.

_"Why do you insist on wearing this?"_

Four years divorced and still wearing her wedding band. Shit, she needs a drink right now.

_"Perhaps you think I'd come running after you and everything will go on as it is? Well I'm not so desperate as to chase after a woman who hates me."_

_"Don't think highly of yourself Sasuke,"_ she have both hands on her hips, _"I was so busy living my life that I didn't notice the ring is even there at all."_

She wins this round. He is so pissed he throws the ring to the mountainside. Sakura tastes sadness and regret in her tongue. But years living with Sasuke taught her a few lessons on keeping emotions on check.

_"So stupid of you,"_ she says calmly, _"I could have sold that ugly piece of jewelry. We could split the money you know."_

He ignores her. Sakura stomps to her bamboo and grass hut. He languidly follows her, noting every detail of her miserable hut.

_"Here,"_ he says handing her a scroll, _"It's not of immediate concern but it would be best to read the hokage's instruction."_

_"No, I'd rather read this on the way."_

He doesn't comment but notice the jar of snake tea on her bedside table. He points to direct her attention to it. She shakes her head and trips on a bottle of sake. Sakura kicks it out of sight.

_"We have an inn around. It's uncomfortable but cheap. You can stay there until we leave for Konoha. I understand you don't want me out of your sight that you search far and wide for me."_

There's a hint of sarcasm obviously. Sasuke went along with it.

_"Exactly, which is why I need to stay here in your pretty little home so you won't get away this time."_ He stares at her narrow bed beside the window. Their conjugal bed was seven times larger than this. But both have the same virginal white sheets.

Sarcasm and double entendres.

_"Okay,"_ she says. Not Okay. He will see her little routines, nothing escapes him, and he'll attribute her drinking habits (habit- not a problem,no never) and her dry hair and her dry skin and her shabby clothes to post-Sasuke era misery.

_"Okay just don't follow me around when I go out on dates. I mean I go on dates all the time here. And everywhere I go you know."_

Sasuke smirks._ "I doubt it."_

Sakura's stomach growls unabashedly.

Sasuke closes his eyes in amusement. Oh he find this amusing, her abject misery. She wants to cry right now but really,she is tired of crying this past four years.

_"So,"_ she flashes him a smile, raiding her cupboards for food _"It's customary here to feed the guest "_. When she couldn't find anything but sake, she starts fumbling for her purse. She finds there several shiny coins enough to feed one person. The minimum wage here is half the minimum wage of a baby sitter say in Suna. Sakura doesn't think it's that bad until now when she's trying to impress (even a little, please gods and all and his ancestors let me impress) HIM.

She haven't done enough today to get a whole day's pay. Guess she will have to starve today to buy Sasuke some meat.

Sasuke slaps several bills on her bedside table. _"This is as good an inn as I can get. I have to pay for breakfast and board or is that not the custom here?"_

_"It is,"_ she mumbles.

He stalks off outside to not witness her reaching for the bills. He is that considerate. Sakura is so used to people giving her money on hand that she starts to cry at his thoughtfulness.

Throughout their marriage, he taught her pain and loss. But above all, he taught her pride.

He stays out of the way now to give her space to cry out and compose herself. Oh he knows her so well. That mercurial Uchiha.

For all his faults, Sasuke's a good man.

* * *

**Back in the fields-**

Granny looks up from her work to challenge the mythic dragon in the sky.

_"You're eager to meet your bride huh? You'll roast us to death until your satisfied with with her charms."_

_"What is it Granny?"_ a girl presses close.

_"Nothing child. It's just that with the sun this hellish, I think we'll have the fertility ritual a little early than usual." _

Granny looks over at sasuke working his frustrations out on the land and becomes thoughtful for a while.

_"Which is just as well."_


End file.
